SIMPLE SURPRISE AT MEXICAN RESTAURANT

I have for many years been going to El Indio Mexican Restaurant to enjoy the cuisine prepared by my good friend Sylvia Leal Malone and her family. And while the food is excellent on every given day, there finally came a day, on Tuesday, April 5, 2006 when I ventured to try something new and WOW, it really knocked my socks off!

The key to it is in its utter simplicity: a Veggie Quesadilla served with rice, black beans, Guacamole, and freshly made salsa. Seeing it on the menu, I was sure that there would be little excitement in the dish but I had given up meat for Lent and was looking for an alternative to Chicken Enchiladas. Let me tell you, it was so delicious that I was determined to write about it before I took my second bite.

Here's the basic recipe:

In Olive Oil, sauté Onions until translucent, add Spinach.

When spinach is wilted, add Mushrooms, diced Zucchini, and Cilantro.

Finally, add diced and drained Tomatoes. Sauté for a couple of more minutes.

Remove from heat.

Lay out two flour tortillas (alternately, one may use pitas or other flat breads). Top one with grated Cheese (Queso), then vegetable mixture. Top with more cheese and place second tortilla on top.

Place in a hot oven for approximately five minutes.

Tortillas will crisp slightly, cheese will be melted, and veggies will be rich and hearty.

When I talked to Sylvia, I asked her how she came up with this dish since Quesadilla is a cheese dish. "Because I wanted to find a way to use my favorite vegetables in a clean, simple dish." I couldn't have said it any better than this.

Here is the address in case you visit Monterey, California.
El Indio Mexican Restaurant
1290 Del Monte Center
Monterey, CA 93940


Copyright © 2006 The Gothic Gourmet

ITS NOT PASTA, BUT MAN IS IT GOOD!

I love pasta. That could be the end of this article because that's how much I love pasta.

Pasta is one of those foods that is laden with calories and is very filling, so I've decided to cut back on eating it. I know, I can't believe it either. (pout) Now what do I do when I'm craving Italian Pasta but don't I want all the calories?

If youre like me, you'll absolutely love this pasta alternative that my mother prepared for me. I can't live without it! She found it on the website for Mann Packing, one of Salinas Valleys premiere growers.

Cut broccoli stalks into 4 cups of Julienne strips or approximately one bag of Broccoli ColeSlaw found in the bagged salad section of your local grocery store.

Add two tablespoons of olive oil (or cooking spray) to a large sauté pan.

Add broccoli to the sauté pan and saute' over medium heat.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt, two chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning (such as Oregano), 1/4 teaspoon of Allspice to the broccoli.

Sauté broccoli until tender about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Plate sautéed broccoli on serving platter and top with your favorite Italian sauce (if you like meat sauce try it with lean ground turkey).

Top with cheese (or NOT if you're Vegan)!

Julienne Broccoli resembles spinach pasta with a big difference in calories. Six ounces of cooked pasta has about 630 calories where six ounces of cooked Broccoli has only 50 calories! And though it is so good you won't have any left over, the saute'ed broccoli is exceptional in omelets.

Copyright © 2006 The Gothic Gourmet